THE BAND OF BIGS

A babysitting gig offers opportunities for major mischief.

Lyall returns to this ongoing series centered on a most amusing premise: Various squads, among them the League of Littles and the Band of Bigs, exist to help older, younger, and middle siblings (as well as only children) through conflicts. The Band of Bigs has been summoned to assist Kent, whose sneaky younger brothers tricked him into going outside, bolted the door behind him, and called in the League of Littles to keep him out. This front-porch standoff provides a perfect setup for a showdown. The smaller set skillfully booby-trap all possible points of entry—slime on the windowsills, a pillow catapult, a cascade of marbles. The Bigs plan an infiltration from above, deploying their cutest asset, Chester the hamster, who sneaks down the chimney—but he’s quickly met by a feline foe and trapped under a laundry basket. The confrontation reaches an impasse; soon, the Middles and Onlys Guild intervenes. Much as in the series’ first book, antagonistic antics overwhelm opportunities for character development. But curiosity will likely keep readers intrigued. Why were the Middles and Onlys so quick to help, anyway? A subsequent entry in the series will almost certainly shed some light. Faber’s lovely, bright, and expressive cartooning carries the story breezily along, with chubby Chester occasionally stealing the show. The kids vary in skin tone.

A lighthearted caper with a dash of familial intrigue.